White Zinfandel
by risokura
Summary: The stone cold debutant and the spawn of the flower children. What a match. AxelRoxas AU Genderbend
1. cliché of a post grad twenty something

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Kingdom Hearts

**A/N: **Been noting the increasing interest in gender bend as of late. Guess I lied when I said I was done writing it. Decided to knock out another one. Ha. Anyway, three/four parts tops.

-x-

_white zinfandel  
prologue  
cliché of a post grad twenty something  
_

-x-

I hate living in the city.

No, truly. I do. I hate the wailing sirens of cop cars and ambulances rushing along the grimy streets. The incessant chatter of passerby's on their way to their next important meeting. Everything is scheduled into this finite portion of space. They think they can do anything and everything. Never stopping to breath or think about what's supposed to come next.

You lose yourself in the hustle of everything and the noise is deafening. It hurts my ears when I hear the noisy clatter of a distant cell phone or the subtle clip clop of noisy, polished stilettos. Sometimes I just stand in the middle of this cacophony of never ending sound and wonder … how can anyone stand it?

People seem to idolize urban living. If you don't live here, then it's the greatest place in the world. You see these places on television and in movies. Or in magazines and on the internet and just …it's different when you're subjected to the _wonder _of the city day after day. You grow jaded; none of this stuff impresses you anymore.

In return, you long for the simple life of the countryside or perhaps a small town in the middle of nowhere. It's kind of a cliché on both ends if you think about it. Then again, it doesn't get any more cliché than an angsty twenty something sick of life in the big city, longing to make her way out to some remote town where no one knows her name and she can restart her life as she sees fit. Well, I can poke fun at myself. Hell, I do it a lot. It's the only way to keep sane in this stupid ass world.

So, I guess we should get some particulars down, right?

Names Axel. Actually, on my birth certificate, it says _Axelle_. Kinda like the word excel, except I clearly don't. I think my parents were thinking they were doing me a favor by giving me some weird as fuck name. They spent some time in France before I was born and fell in love with this Belgian singer named Axelle Red. Thought they'd name me the same… cause it sounded _unique_. No other girl back home would have my name.

I think they failed to realize a couple of things. For one, we don't live in fucking _France_ anymore. And two, people always end up fucking it up and calling me Axel. Makes more sense than Axelle. So that's why I usually just go by Axel. Not _Axelle_._ **Axel**_.

Anyway, back to my whole existential crisis and my journey to solve it. Where were we? Oh, right. Yeah, so I hate the city and I wanted to leave. Right. So, I just graduated college, big surprise. So, I'm the perfect target for all that finding myself and wandering around bullshit that people do at this age. Yeah, I have no idea what I'm doing with myself, or my life or anything else for that matter. I'm just biding my time living in this stupid city without any direction and blah, blah, blah, give me a fucking break.

So, I work a dead end job at this wonderful little coffee house on the corner of one of the busiest intersections in this stupid city. Oh, and before you start guessing, I don't live in New York. That would take this story to a whole new level of cliché. No, we're kind of like … New York's lesser known cousin… twice removed or some shit. Instead of, "The City That Never Sleeps," they call us "The World That Never Was". Whatever the hell _that's _supposed to mean. I guess it's an allusion to the fact that this city is full of so many fucking weirdos and morons that this whole place should just go up in flames. Like it should have never existed. No city like this should _ever _exist if you ask me.

Okay, enough sidetracking. Where was I? Oh, yeah. Okay, let's add up the clichés in my life. I work at a coffee house… and I have a roommate. Okay, that's a plus two so far. I'm a single female with a degree in … ah, here comes the first curve ball: _Engineering_. Bet you thought I was going to say something like English or Philosophy, huh? Something that you constantly hear people telling you, "What the hell are you going to do with a degree from _those _majors?" Ah, well, engineering landed me in a coffee shop. So guess it didn't matter in the long run, hm?

I'm a lesbian. There goes a plus. I've got a tattoo of serotonin on my left ankle and dopamine on my right. Two more, I'm losing count here. Always had piss poor math skills, sorry. Shitty excuse for an engineering major, I know. What else is there? Oddly enough, I'm not toting around a ton of piercings. Just my belly button and two lobe piercings and an industrial for a little bit of _spice_. All in all, I'm just the stereotypical poster child for the cool, alternative, post grad lesbian working in a shitty coffee shop. Shit, I'm a walking AU fanfiction.

Guess I should talk about family relations? My family is… normal. Note, I use that term loosely.

My parents are two old hippies who settled down in Twilight Town when they finally got tired of their "nomadic" way of life and realized that a prepubescent old child needed a more stable environment to grow up in. My upbringing was probably as screwed up as your imagining. I'll spare you stories for now, but have you ever had wheat grass pie? Trust me, you don't want to.

Anyway, my parents are pretty satisfied with whatever I wanna do with my life. They don't argue with me,make that never argue with me, about my life choices. Everything is free love or choice or whatever lackadaisical mantra they're into at the moment. I should let the cosmos help me decide what I want to _"do with myself". _

I will say that the only thing my father disagrees with me on is how I gave into corporate America. Actually, it's more like, "Elle, lemme tell ya something. That coffee they got you making at that fancy little mermaid tea house place ain't go no fucking soul. AIN'T GOT NOTHING IN IT TO MAKE ME FUCKING ROCK AND ROLL!" Then his eyes always get really huge and then he'll just zone the fuck out and start whispering, "No soul, coffee ain't go no soul. Fucking gotta, gotta rock and roll." Most of the time he's on uppers and they make his head all wonky so I never listen to him much … if at all. Then, of course, there's mom in the background trying to shove wheat grass pies down my throat. Visits with them are always entertaining at best.

Rox is always talking about how she likes visiting with my family.

My family is … _eccentric_, so to speak. She's used to stuffy dinner parties and fancy soirees where her parents parade her around for eligible suitors all day and night. She says they're unstructured and whimsical… and fanciful, and on and on to whatever other adjectives you can pull out of your ass. A _true _delight. Oh, and who's Rox? Her real name is Roxianna. That's Rox-ee-AHNya. That would be my roommate and … for lack of a better word, best friend.

She's the epitome of a manicured and perfected debutant…

…And one of the most brutal people I've ever had the pleasure of encountering.

Back in my sophomore year of college, one of the swanky dorms on campus, (i.e. where all the rich kids lived), burned down. While the renovations were going on, they had to move a bunch of kids into temporary housing or find vacancies in other dorms. Up until that point, it had just been me and a quiet music major named, Xion, living in my suite. Our RA had mentioned in passing that we'd be getting a new room transfer, but she failed to mention when.

I'll just say that when we did meet, the blue eyes that greeted me on one warm morning in late September could have sent the temperature in the room plummeting. For starters, Rox looked like she had walked out of an episode of Gossip Girl. Everything was _perfect_. Little tailored blazer, crisp white button down shirt, little plaid skirt and high heeled boots. And the oversized sunglasses tucked neatly into her hair. She screamed _rich bitch_.

She grilled me from head to toe, upper lip stiff and unyielding. I was about to say something when she told me the following: _Don't talk to me. Don't touch my stuff. Stay out of my way and we'll get along just fine._ I guess she was expecting some type of reaction from me, but I merely shrugged at her little introduction and walked past her to go pee and then got back in my bed and went to sleep.

That's when I started calling her Roxas. Like rock ass. For being such a hard ass with everything she did or anyone she met. Nowadays, it's become nickname of sorts. And the name just … fits, I don't know.

Anyway, first time we talked was three months later in December. I found her on the floor of our bathroom on the night before Christmas break began. Xion had gone home for the break and I was currently staying on campus until the spring semester started up. My parents had decided to gallivant off to _India_ for Christmas. Of course they wanted me to come, but I was feeling inclined to stay on American soil for Christmas this year. I'd seen … enough of the "world" when I was a kid.

So, yeah, Rox was on the floor having a meltdown of sorts. When I found her, she cursed me out and threw a couple of soap dispensers, a towel and a loofah at my head, but that didn't deter me from picking her up out of her slump and setting her right again. So kill me, I'm a sucker for cute little blondes in despair. I cooked us up some deep fried oreos—which, could you believe she never had? After that we girl talked our little hearts out underneath the stars, and cried as the moon rose into the dark, winter sky, with the snow cascading against the fogged up windows and—

Okay, no, that didn't happen.

Really, it was more like we were caught in an freaking blizzard that night, the power went off and we froze our asses off waiting for it to come back on. In the meantime, Roxas ate through my entire pre _AND_ postmenstrual emergency stash and left me high and dry as she locked herself in her room for the next week. Okay, no. Yeah, yeah. I'm exaggerating again. But she did lock herself in her room until the power came back on, though. And when she did come out she began acting civil toward me. Well, somewhat. She kind of frowned her face up and pouted a bit before telling me not to get too cozy with her and we left like that at first.

She was stuck on campus for the break like I was. And with basically nothing to do, we were stuck with one another. She took the bait slowly. At first, all I was able to learn was she was too stressed to go home. But over the course of night fried oreo sessions—she couldn't get enough of them—the truth would come out. And that's how it all began.

The stone cold debutant and the spawn of the flower children. What a match.

But, you must know that this isn't a story about how Rox and I met and the circumstances leading up to our wonderfully abusive friendship. No, this is the story of my life as a post grad, working at a shitty coffee shop on one of the busiest streets in the City That Needs To Be Blown Up.

It's a story about how I hate living here. And why I don't know why I'm living here. And how I hate this city. And how I hate my job. And how I hate being a young twenty something. And how I hate the modern world and everyone in it. And I hate my life. And I want to die. And I'm breaking all these grammar rules, but who the fuck cares right now. Grammar knows no rules with melodrama is in order.

But, really, above all else ... this is a story about how at the very core of my ever pervasive and annoying existential crisis...

...Roxas was right smack dab in the center of it all.


	2. sugarfills, lilly pills and daffodils

_part ii  
sugarfills, lilly pills and daffodils _

I woke up to the sound of bitchy high heels hitting the polished wooden floor outside of my door.

Know that I say that with love. Since we met, I've never known Roxas not to wear high heels. The main reason is because she's so short. She's four feet, ten inches. Even though she lies on her driver's license and says she's five feet. She's got this whole complex about her height, even though for a girl, she's pretty normal. _I _should be the one freaking out over my height.

Hello, Amazonian priestess over here.

Anyway, that morning started out as any other desolate morning. Roxas clomped around like a horse outside my door while I waited until the last minute to wake up and get ready for work. I rolled over onto my side and peered out of the window right above my bed. Looked like a mixture of rain with a sprinkle of flurries for some added spice. The streets would probably be frozen over by lunch time and all of our patrons would be stumbling into Starbucks with neck braces from a morning visit to the ER.

Fabulous.

I heard Roxas shuffling by the door again and the scuffle of her shoes on the floor. She was probably wearing one of her many pairs of Oxford Mary Janes that she was so fond of. Let's me state that they were completely impractical in weather like this, but this is Roxas we're talking about.

I rolled over onto my side again and pulled the sheets over my head. I had half an hour before I had to get out the house. Sometimes I over slept by mistake, most of the time I was deliberately late. I loved sleep and sleep loved me. I couldn't get enough of it. Which is why I don't understand how Roxas could be up so early in the morning, already prancing around in her little high heels like it was twelve noon.

She was probably hoping to wake me up from the sound of her constantly pacing around the apartment. Roxas was as passive aggressive as they came. It wouldn't be long before my door was sent flying off its hinges and fierce little steps made their way to the side of my bed.

"Thanks for knocking." I mumbled into my pillow as the door clattered noisily against the wall. There's already a small indentation in the wall from her constantly kicking it open in the morning.

"Why aren't you _dressed_?" Roxas snapped. I didn't even have to turn to look at her to know that she had her hands on her hips, "It's almost eight thirty. You have to be to work at _nine_."

"Okay, mom." I swatted away at her and curled up into my pillow again. I'd get up eventually, just not now.

I swear her head was about to explode. I could hear it. She was always so fussy. Do this, Axel. Do that. You're never punctual, Axel. You have to keep your commitments, Axel. For someone who abhors all the rules of high society, Roxas did a hell of a job adhering to them all.

Anyway, she did her typical one, two stomp—(she only does it when she's wearing heels, it's like a dramatic pause before she does something)—and then I felt the sheets being ripped away from my body. "_Must you be so indecent?" _She immediately huffed, as I rose up to give Roxas a full view of my naked backside.

I glanced around to look at her, "Ain't nothing you haven't seen before, hm?"

"Stop using double negatives and speak like a normal human being." Roxas snapped, throwing the sheet back in my direction so that it obscured my vision, "I'll be home late today. I'm going to be spending the day with Naminé and Kairi."

When I pulled the sheet off from off my head and turned around, Roxas had already turned around to avoid looking at me. Her arms were crossed over her chest. I wrapped the sheet around my lower half and scooted myself off the bed. Nothing wrong with a little bit of nudity, poor thing was so repressed.

"Let me guess … you're going out for your monthly girl's day out? Going to go out for lunch and then shop for little itty bitty underwear at Victoria Secret's to wear to your next sorority sleepover?"

"You're so immature."

"Just telling it how it is." I replied, laughing to myself. I walked over to my dresser and haphazardly pulled out some random underwear that didn't match. Roxas would more than likely be appalled if she were looking at me, "I take it they'll be coming back here with you tonight? You guys doing your little monthly sleepover catch up thing tonight?"

"Will you be able to make yourself scarce?" Roxas asked just as I finished fixing my bra and let the sheets drop to the floor, "Or at the very least, tolerable?"

"I don't know why you can't admit that Kairi and Naminé _love _me." I replied, grinning cheekily in Roxas' direction, "You know how popular my fried Oreos are with the ladies. Just look at what it did for me and you."

"You and I." Roxas replied, "And I thought I told you to go to the doctor for your delusions of grandeur."

I shrugged, "Rather live with them. Keeps me sane." I pushed my arms through my uniform shirt and turned around to look at Roxas, "Nice shoes to wear outside in this mess. Fashion over safety, huh?"

"I'm sorry you're so inept at being a proper woman," Roxas snapped, turning to watch me now as I thread a belt through the loops of my pants.

"Yeah, and I'm sorry you're so short."

So, I had a death wish. But, Roxas was cute when you got her all riled up.

She stared me down with her _menacing_—I use that term lightly—glare. "Go die in a fire, Ramirez."

Aww, she learned that one from me.

Roxas swiftly turned on her heel (heels) and promptly exited my room. Her noisy shoes clicked across the apartment and it wasn't long before I heard the front door being slammed. Hm, more touchy than usual. Wonder if Aunt Flo was rearing her ugly head? Might have to make more fried Oreos than usual for tonight.

I stopped in the kitchen to see what there was to eat. Roxas had made something for herself, but there wasn't much to eat otherwise. I couldn't stand her egg whites and I don't eat meat, so bacon was out of the question. Guess I'd have to be satisfied with a delicious and fulfilling breakfast bar. I'd get some coffee when I got to work. I guess that was the nice thing about working in a coffee shop was the unlimited amount of coffee you could make yourself.

I threw on my jacket and scarf and then grabbed my keys from the dish in the middle of the kitchen table. Roxas had left a small notepad on the corner of the table. Something that didn't have to do with me. I shrugged dismissively and threw my messenger bag over my shoulder and headed for the door.

-x-

I work most of my shifts with two psychos, a meat head, one bitchy general and a timid prepubescent.

First there's Fang and Vanille.

I get along with them the most at work. They're like best friends … or sisters … or lovers or something. I don't know. I caught Fang fucking the shit out of Vanille in the break room one morning when I had to open the store. As I stood there traumatized, Fang asked me if I wanted to join the two of them… while Vanille was just lying there groaning away and I just … backtracked out of the break room and stayed outside until they were finished.

They've propositioned me tons of times since then. The farthest Fang has ever gotten is groping my ass and Vanille is always nuzzling up to me like a demented cat. I don't know. They're cool, if a bit … strange. A lot strange. But they're the most fun at work, so I don't really mind all the freaky shit they do in the break room.

The meathead I work with is Snow.

He's an absolute idiot. That's all I can say. He's got a good heart, but he's a giant idiot. I can't begin to explain the headaches he puts me through on the job. From the fucked up drinks he makes to the wrong pricing he does for drinks. I usually just have him wipe down tables and organize the displays so I can keep him from behind the counter. How he got hired, I will never know.

Next, there's Lightning. …Or _Claire _if you know her real name.

That's the general. Stick up the ass, bitchy, scowling, no nonsense Lightning. She's like Roxas … if Roxas was like … a foot taller and had bigger tits. I think Lightning might actually be worse than Roxas. She doesn't bother me much, but Fang is always giving her a hard time and Vanille is always there to chime in because of Fang. To make matters worse, Snow is dating her little sister, Serah. So that's just added tension that we don't need in the work place. It's become a monthly thing where I find Snow passed out behind the counter with a black eye. I think he's going to go blind one day and Lightning will be responsible for the entire thing.

The last part of our dysfunctional team is Hope. No, I don't mean there's hope for the work place, the kid's _name _is Hope. I don't know, maybe his parents were hippies like mine. Anyway, he's seasonal for the time being. They might make him permanent, depends on how things go. He doesn't really do much, just wanders around timidly asking me if there's anything he can do. Lightning seems to have a soft spot for him as does Vanille. Actually everyone does. He's like … seventeen but he looks twelve. I don't know. He's about the only sane person in this whole operation. I doubt he'll last long because you'd have to be _insane _to work here.

Our boss, Sahz, usually sticks to his office and never comes out unless there's been a real discrepancy of any sort. Usually he just calls us all idiots and that he's too old to deal with all these "young people".

Anyway, enough about how stupid my workplace is. After braving the hobos on the train and insufferable commute, I walked into the store that morning to find Vanille and Fang having a sword fight with cups. Typical.

Vanille saw me first and smiled brightly, "Axel! You're on time for once."

Fang lowered her sword made of stacked cups and grinned at Vanille, "Maybe she's here so early because she's finally going to take us up on our offer, yeah?"

"Hell'll freeze over first," I replied, as I let myself in behind the counter, "Shouldn't you two be working instead of trying to kill each other with plastic cups?"

"Sheesh, it's hardly busy." Fang shrugged, raising her stack of plastic cups again.

"Yeah, Fang, Lightning and I took care of the morning rush, you know." Vanille stated as she turned her attention on Fang again, "We were just trying to pass the time until you came in."

"I'm flattered." I replied duly, "Where's the general?" I asked.

"In the back talking to Sahz." Vanille replied, lunging toward Fang.

"Hm. I'll be back. I'm going to drop my stuff off."

I let myself in behind the counter and headed for the break room. It was empty as expected. I dropped my coat and bag off and picked up my apron from one of the hooks by the door. When I came back, Fang and Vanille were on the floor, wrestling … or kissing … or some variation of the two. I was standing there tying my apron when Lightning came out of Sahz's office, murder glinting in her eyes. She glanced at me, and then looked down at Fang and Vanille.

"Get off the _floor_ and get back to _work_." She seethed before Fang and Vanille could even acknowledge her existence in the room.

Fang glanced up, having pinned a wriggling Vanille to the floor and currently had her in a headlock, "Oi, what crawled up your ass and died this morning, Princess?"

The fact that they were acting like idiots for one.

"We have _customers_." Lightning began again, reaching down to grab Fang by the collar of her shirt and yank her off of Vanille. Vanille rolled over to the side and started coughing when Fang relinquished her hold on her, "Start acting like civilized human beings and not heathens from whatever backwater town you came from!"

"Your insults just get more creative by the day, you know?" Fang grinned, unfazed from whatever Lightning had to say to her. She was always like that. Lightning released her grip on Fang and stepped away from the two of them, not even bothering to dignify Fang with a reply. Lightning disappeared into the break room and Fang reached for Vanille next, pulling the shorter girl to her feet and readjusted her cap on her head, "Reckon she wanted to join us, Vanille?"

"Totally." Vanille replied, grinning up a storm. She turned away from Fang and then looked in my direction, "Now we have to figure out what Axel likes and things'll be even better, hm?"

Fang laughed heartedly as she turned in my direction, "You know I'm up for that one, Vanille."

I sighed as I took a customer's order and then turned around to glance at the two of them, "Do the two of you enjoy talking about me when I'm only an earshot away?" I asked, looking over my shoulder, "Venti soy caramel macchiato."

Fang shrugged as she pulled a cup down and set about making the drink, "You don't give us nearly as much tongue as Lightning does. We never really know what's going on in that head of yours," She glanced over at Vanille who was taking the next order at the register beside me, "Right, Van?"

"Yeah, Axel." Vanille grinned, looking up at me, "You have to let us know what's going on in your head more often. You're not as readable as Lightning is. She's all growls and scowls. Total stick in the mud who knows she wants it from the two of us."

"Well," I began, reaching over the register to receive a credit card from another customer, "This is an appropriate conversation to have in front of our patrons."

"Oh, by all means, go right ahead. I love workplace drama." I turned to glance at the short girl who ordered the soy macchiato. She was currently an avid listener to our conversation, "I only come to this Starbucks because everyone who works here is a total nutjob."

"Well, thanks." Vanille grinned, "Hear that guys? We're nutjobs."

"Warms my heart." Fang replied, adding whipped cream to the current drink she was working on.

I sighed, resisting the urge to smash my head into the cash register before me.

It was only the start to one long ass day.

-x-

I sighed, closing the door and locking it behind me. I dragged my boots across the rug by the front door, knocking off snow and whatever caked up muck I'd picked up from the streets off my soles. It had been a long day at work with Fang and Lightning fighting the entire time and Hope being out with the flu. After pulling my boots off and leaving them by the front door, I strolled into the apartment to find that being at home wasn't any better. Rox and her little sorority buddies were huddled in the living room with green facial masks, their hair curled up and pajamas on.

I think I was going to die.

"Axelle!" Kairi exclaimed excitedly as she looked up from the bowl of popcorn in her lap. Naminé smiled contentedly at her side while Roxas was entering the living room from the kitchen with what appeared to be those weird Terra blue potato chips they were obsessed with. I couldn't tolerate most (nearly all) of Roxas' friends, but Kairi and Naminé were okay.

"Yo." I kicked my boots off in the front hall and lined them up next to two identical pairs of high heeled snow boots (What the fuck?) and Roxas's caked up high heels (see, I told her) near the front door. I glanced around the living room and observed a green plastic bowl near Kairi's perfectly little pedicured feet. "Facials and mani-pedis, huh?"

"As always," Kairi smiled, flexing her toes liberally, "You should come join us, Ax."

"Don't." Roxas rolled her eyes from the couch, "She doesn't care about maintenance of any kind."

"Oh, Rox. Shush." Kairi turned to look at me.

"Nah, Rox is right. Not really my scene." I shrugged, "But, if you want… I can always fry up some of those Oreos the two of you love."

"Really?" Kairi and Naminé turned to look at me in unison as I walked through the living toward my room.

"Sure, give me a second to get out of this monkey suit and I'll be with the three of you in a minute."

I stripped off my uniform and threw it haphazardly on the floor. After throwing on some old college sweatshirt and shorts, I was in the kitchen finding the necessary ingredients to feed the three ravenous debutantes currently occupying my (our) living room.

"So, Axel. What have you been up to since we've seen you last?" Kairi had forgone watching whatever shitty chick flick she, Naminé and Roxas had been previously fixated on to keep me company in the kitchen.

"Same old. Still working for the same shitty establishment since the last time you saw me."

"Starbucks, huh?" Kairi questioned, settling into one of the seats at the bar.

"Just biding my time until something else comes along I guess," I shrugged poking at one of the Oreos in the pan.

"What about graduate school? You _were _an engineering major, right? That's an incredibly marketable degree. With just a little bit more time spent in school you could quit your current gig and go off and do better and bigger things, Axelle."

I laughed, resisting the urge to give her the same spiel I always gave Roxas. But, I simply shrugged my shoulders. "Thanks … but I'm kind of satisfied where I am right now to tell you the truth, Kairi. Gotta pay my dues to society before I become some super scientific hotshot." Not like she, Roxas or Naminé had any concept of that aspect of life.

She let what I said go completely over her head and turned her attention on the Oreos, "Are they almost done?"

"Almost." I nodded off to where Naminé and Roxas were still seated, "Why don't you go back to your movie and I'll let you know when they're ready, hm?"

Kairi shrugged before heading over to where Naminé was sitting at the base of the sofa. She snatched the popcorn bowl out of Roxas's hands and pulled her legs up to her chest as she focused on the movie. In a few more minutes I drained the oil off of the Oreos and piled them all onto a plate to bring over to the three of them.

"So what's the movie for tonight?"

"_Bridget Jones's Diary_." The three of them answered in unison.

I set the plate down on the coffee table and crossed my arms over my chest, "I'm surprised. Not a bad choice for once."

"It was either this or _Sex and the City 2_." Naminé answered, smiling. "Roxas vehemently protested against the latter."

"She would." Kairi commented, rolling her eyes, "What do you think, Axelle?"

"Never watched the series and I was forced into watching the movie by a certain someone. …So I really have no say in this matter."

Namine sprang up, but Kairi spoke up before she could say anything, "What kind of girl _are you_?"

"She's not." Roxas replied from the couch.

"Ouch, haven't heard _that _one before. Not a very good one in the eyes of society I suppose." I laughed and shrugged at Kairi's question. "At any rate, I'm going to leave you girls to your movies and … face painting. I've got a hot date with my bed tonight."

"Oh, no. Please? Stay, Axelle?" Kairi asked, standing up and grabbing the sleeve of my sweatshirt just as I turned to leave, "It's a rarity, but it's always better when you watch movies with us."

"Yes, we enjoy your commentary." Naminé chimed in from the floor.

"I appreciate it when she stays quiet." Roxas deadpanned.

Kairi's hands snaked their way under the fabric of my shirt and latched onto my wrist, "Please?"

I sighed, "I really don't want to intrude on _... girl time," _I gestured toward the plate of fried Oreos, "Go eat up. I'll join you three another time."

"You owe us one, then. Remember that." Kairi stared pointedly at me, hands on her hips.

"The Oreos aren't enough?"

"No." Kairi and Naminé said in unison, Kairi being the more forceful of the two.

I laughed gingerly before excusing myself, "Duly noted. Anyway, enjoy your girly night. I'll see you three in the morning." I closed my door as soon as I had opened it and flopped down face first onto my bed. I wasn't _really _going to sleep, I just wanted to protect my sanity ...and also save my myself from the horrors of some fucked up rich bitch makeover.

I turned over on my back and looked up at the window overhead. The weather had calmed down enough for the moon to come out and the sky was clear. Still freezing cold out, but I'd take this type of weather over the shit show we had this morning.

There wasn't much on my mind as I lied down, staring at the moon above me. I had to open tomorrow which meant getting to work at some unholy time. I'd probably have to sneak past Roxas and her little sleeping companions as they would more than likely be invading the living room late into tomorrow morning. Maybe if I feeling nice I'd bring home some pastries on my break or something. Who knows. Whatever.

I also had to call home. Mom and dad were actually home for once instead of gallivanting all over the world like they usually did. Maybe I'd go visit them sometime soon. It's been awhile since I've been back to Twilight Town and I'm getting tired of this stupid city. Maybe I should call up Xion and see if she wanted to go with me... Roxas probably would, too. God, how much money is in my account right now?

Maybe I'd call Demyx ...

Call ... up the old gang ... see what they're doing, too ...

What would we do while I was there? Go to the movies? Arcade? ... Go down to the beach and fuck around like we used to...

I should get to sleep. Though I'm kinda sleepy ... I should also ignore Fang and Vanille tomorrow...

...I wish they'd stop antagonizing Lightning...

...Not tired ...

... Sleep. This pillow is nice though. Maybe I'll ask mom to send me some of those throw cushions shes so fond of. ...Those are also nice to sleep on.

Sleep?

Sleep ...

...

(_Night_).


End file.
